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Looking up from his homework, Mason's brown eyes happened upon his mother. He liked it when she slept, she didn't hold the stress in her face that this town inflicted upon her when she did. He supposed it came with the job of being Mayor, as he didn't clearly understand what all there was to be stressed about when you could practically do whatever you wanted, but at nearly nine years old Mason was able to deduce that the heavy weight his mother held on her shoulders went farther than just her job.

Mason uncrossed his legs and swung them over the side of the bed, setting his math book down on the bed where he had been sitting and went to refill the glass of water he had insisted his mother drink with a handful of asprin for the pain. She must not have planned on falling asleep since she remained in her work clothes, but he dared not wake her. She needed her sleep.

He went into his mother's master bathroom and refilled the glass of water in the sink, putting the bottle of asprin away in the medicine cabinet before returning to his mother's side and setting the glass down on the desk as quietly as he possibly could so that it would be there for her when she woke up.

He halfly sat on the edge of the bed on her side and reached forward to kiss her cheek lightly, surprised that a tear suddenly squeezed out of his eye and rolled down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away with the back of his sleeve and returned to the foot of the bed where he sprawled out comfortably and took up his math book again, but his heart wasn't into homework any longer, instead his thoughts drifting to the person who had done this to her.

Of course he knew plenty of people that spoke badly of his mother, but he didn't know anyone that would actually take action and try to harm her. Mason slammed his math book closed with an agitated sigh, knowing that studying now would be pointless.

"Gods help whoever hurt you mom, I'll break their nose just like I did Augusts, and I won't even feel bad about it because you told me that it's always the right thing when you stand up for those you love. And I [i]do[/i] love you mom, more than-"

A shockwave went through the house, though nothing seemed to be immediately effected but Mason himself. His stomach began twisting into strange knots, leaving him feeling very queasy as a headache suddenly reared in his head and caused him to close his eyes.

He saw a woman, skin as green as the skin of an apple and lips as pink as a rose and flashing her stunningly white teeth. Another woman was there, golden eyes as bright as the day with a small nose and exotic angular features. He knew this woman, she was his -

"-Mom?" Mason called out, slightly panicked as he opened his eyes wide once more. Regina must have sensed his distress as she sat up immediately, locking eyes with her son and saw the tears beginning to stream down her face.

"Mason! What-" Regina pushed herself away from the head of the bed and crawled over the few feet to her son, wrapping her arms around him comfortingly and ignoring the blinding sting that came from her injuries.

"She killed her!" Mason sobbed uncontrolably into Regina's chest, holding tightly onto her as if she were to disappear on him. "Don't leave me! Don't leave me like she did!"

Confusion and concern knitted onto Regina's face as she began to rub small circles into Mason's back, letting her lips kiss the top of his thick head of hair.

"Mason, what are-"

Regina's eyes snapped to her left and out the window. Out of the corner of her eye she had seen something, the only thing that could pull her attention away from her hysterical son, the only thing that could answer her questions in a way he never could and the only thing that could potentially save her life.

A billowing cloud of purple was headed their way, engulfing everything in it's wake without mercy. This meant two things. One, just as Gold said the curse had been broken and the people of Storybrooke were waking up. This would have caused an incredible amount of distress in The Queen if it hadn't been for the second fact; magic was coming.

"Hold on." Regina said pulling Mason closer to her still, feeling his head rising to see what it was that his mother was looking at through the window but Regina put her hand on his head, keeping it down as the fog slipped in through the cracks and devoured the both of them.

"Mom! What is this? I'm scared!"

"Shhh...Mason don't worry, everything is [i]just perfect[/i]." Regina consoled him, unable to help the smile spreading across her lips as the smoke cleared around them. She laughed as a single tear of joy rolled down her cheek and kissed Mason once more on the top of his head.

"Don't be scared Mason, it's magic, magic is here, and it's going to help us. I promise, I will [i]never[/i] let anyone hurt you the way she did." Regina had no idea who this 'she' was that he had been distressing about earlier, but the smile on his face and the relax she felt in his muscles put her mind at ease that it was the right thing to say; and it was true...nothing would [i]ever[/i] come between her and her son so long as she drew breath.

No doubt the people of Storybrooke would be at her doorstep within minutes, demanding her head on a spike just as Gold had said, but with magic, she would be quick to show them that she still held the power that she had lost over the last few weeks.

[i]"Starting with that insufferable Henry Carlyle..."[/i]